Georgian Parliament Speaker urges Swedish Embassy to condemn “terror” against April 9 event attendees

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday called for a specific response from the Swedish Embassy regarding the involvement of its funded organisations in what he described as “terror” against participants commemorating the April 9 tragedy.

In his remarks, Papuashvili asserted that responsibility for the incidents lies with all donor organisations and embassies whose funded non-governmental organisations attempted to incite confrontation within society.

“What we witnessed yesterday was an absolutely shameful act. A few dozen individuals trampled upon the memory of those who perished on April 9 and the ideals for which people stood against the Soviet army on April 9, 1989”, the Speaker said.

He further alleged that this was not the action of isolated individuals but was organised by specific NGOs, including Transparency International Georgia, Sapari, and Shame Movement.

“These organisations organised an event to obstruct the presence of individuals they disagreed with on Rustaveli Avenue. The main goal was to provoke division within society. After failing to achieve this, they resorted to violence”, Papuashvili continued.

He further stressed that “the problem lies not in the actions of individual organisations or people, but in the donors who fund them”.

“These NGOs have specific donors, with Transparency International, an Estonian-registered organisation, being funded by the Swedish state. Therefore, what we saw yesterday was not just an outcry from a Georgian NGO employee. It was an outcry and violence carried out by representatives of foreign Governments, diplomats from specific countries, including Sweden, who later visited the memorial”, the Speaker pointed out.

“Is this what they are funding in Georgia? Are they funding the division of the Georgian people?” Papuashvili pointed the question to the Swedish Ambassador.

Papuashvili lamented that nowadays, hatred, violence, lies, disinformation, and propaganda were associated with European funding.

“Yesterday, we witnessed the hysteria of emotionally damaged individuals on Rustaveli Avenue, who have no connection to either Rustaveli Avenue, April 9, or Georgia. They act at the behest of others to further incite division”, he noted.

He placed full responsibility for the "disgusting act" on specific embassies and donors, claiming that the organizers were Georgian individuals dressed to resemble “Rodionovs” - referring to the Soviet general who led the April 9, 1989 crackdown - and were funded by European countries' budgets, including the European Union's.

Papuashvili further criticized the alleged inaction of these donors regarding previous incidents, such as attempts to burn down the Parliament building and alleged campaigns of terror and fascist slogans.

“Let’s see what the Swedish Embassy has to say about this. Yesterday, while Swedish-funded organisations were organising attacks on Rustaveli Avenue, the Swedish Ambassador visited the memorial and laid flowers. This hypocrisy must end. We expect a clear response from the Swedish Embassy - does it condemn the terror organised by its funded organisations against April 9 participants?” Papuashvili concluded.